Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 20, 1931. o. M. SUMMERS 1,827,769

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 51, 1927 V A 16 F J F J F 32 33 do a a I Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OTTO M. SUMMERS, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FRIGID- AIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed October 31, 1927. Serial No. 229,900.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus particularly to the form of refrigerating element and its arrangement in household refrigerator cabinets. One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified form of refrigerating element which is effective to cool circulating air in a cabinet and to freeze ice for table use, and which may be placed within a confined space.

Another object of the invention is to improve and simplify the arrangement and construction of refrigerating elements to reduce their cost of manufacture.

Still another object is to provide a refrigerating element which has large ice freezing and storing capacity, particularly one which will freeze a quantity of ice quickly.

Further objects and advantages of the presout invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator cabinet having the improved refrigerating element therein;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thru the cabinet showing the refrigerating element partly in section and partly in elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the refrigerating element.

Refrigerating elements in the form of evaporators, for the two purposes of chilling circulating air to cool a refrigerating cabinet and for freezing ice for table use, have heretofore been constructed in accordance with Patent No. 1,654,504, December 27, 1927 to Jesse G. King and usually include a header which forms a reservoir for liquid refrigerant and a number of loops of tubing depending from the header for circulating refrigerant. These loops are arranged to form an enclosure for ice-making containers, in which are placed shallow pans for freezing ice for table use, and also to extend outwardly beyond the freezing space to chill circulating air for cooling the cabinet. The freezing space has been comparatively sheltered from circulating air, one set of tubes being provided principally for ice freezing, and another set for the principal purpose of cooling the circulating air. These evaporators have usually been placed in a corner of the cabinet and leave an L-shaped storage compartment for food as shown in the patent to Harry B. Hull, No. 1,779,317, October 21, 1930. While this arrangement is very effective, the refrigerating element occupies a rather large amount of space. In the case of small cabinets for instance for apartment house use, the availability for food storage of a large proportion of the limited space is very important. This reduces to a small amount the space available for the refrigerating element in the cabinet. If refrigerating elements of the form previously described are used, the legs of the'L-shaped storage compartment may be so narrow or short as to be practically useless. Moreover, it is wasteful of space to devote one set of tubes to freezing ice and another set to the cooling of circulating air.

In accordance with my invention I provide a refrigerating element preferably an evaporator, which is very compact and flat, and which may be disposed entirely across the top of a cabinet thus leaving a substantially cubical space for the storage of food. I also construct the evaporator so that the ice freezing and air cooling elements are combined and space is thus conserved. Moreover I provide for an extraordinarily large ice capacity within the limited space available.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Fig. 2, my evaporator includes an elongated and preferably cylindrical header 10 which forms a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, and one or more loops of conduit for circulating refrigerant which extend laterally beside the header. The header is supplied with liquid refrigerant under the control of a float valve which may be constructed as shown in the patent to Osborn, No. 1,556,708, October 13, 1925. The conduit may be either a single loop of flat sheet metal, or it may consist of a plurality of loops 11 of individual pipes spaced from one another and disposed side by side along the header, as shown in Fig. 3. As

shown in Fig. 2 each loop of conduit is in the general form of a C and is connected at both ends to the header below the level of li uid therein. The C includes a pair of indivi ual loops each of which in turndncludes a air of vertically spaced substantially horlzontal ducts 13 and 14 and projects laterally from the header to form an enclosure 12 for an Icemaking container. The ducts 14 are placed substantially a ainst the bottom of the header as shown in Fig. 2 so that the enclosure 12 lies substantially within the height of the header. Within each of the enclosures is placed a compartment 15 adapted to recelve an ice-making container 16. These compartments are preferably in the form of rectangular sleeves or pockets of metal of cod thermal conductivity, such as copper, an are thermally united to each of the ducts 13 and 14, preferably by soldering. If desired, the compartments may be closed at one end by back plate 17, but are left open at the front end.

On the upper side of the ducts 13 are placed compartments 15 exactly similar to the compartments 15 and these are preferably soldered to the ducts to form a good thermal contact. The dimensions of the header and of the compartments 15 and 15 are such that allcompartments are disposed substantially withinthe height of the header. The compartments 15 may, however, project slightly above the header as indicated in the drawmgs.

The loops 11 have portions 20 which project laterally a considerable distance beyond the compartments 15 and provide refrigerating elements for cooling circulating air.

The evaporator is supported in the top of the cabinet in any suitable manner (as by straps 21 bolted to the top wall of the cabinet) and is pl ced as near to the top wall as frosting conditions will permit. It will be understood that during operation the evaporator becomes coated with frost, and sufficient space must be left around the evaporator for this frost to form without touching the walls of the cabinet, for if it were permitted to touch the walls this would increase the heat leakage into the cabinet and also cause the walls to sweat. Accordingly a space 22 indi cated in Fig. 2 is left between the header and the top of the cabinet.

Surrounding the evaporator within the cabinet is a U-shaped partition 23 which separates the cabinet into a cooling compartment 24 and a storage compartment 25. This partition extends substantially across the entire width of the cabinet leaving only air circulating flues 26 on either side. Openings 27 admit warm air from the cabinet to the cooling compartment and an opening 28 admits cold air from the cooling compartment to the storage compartment. Preferably the bottom wall of the partition is provided with a drip pan 29 and a bafiie 30 for the opening, the drip pan being separated from the partition by an insulating air space 31 as more fully described in the patent to George F. Hofierberth, No. 1,768,598, July 1, 1930. The front of the cooling compartment is preferably closed by a wall 32 which has openings 33 to admit the ice-making containers 16.

The air circulates as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2 upwardly thru the flues 26 and downwardly over the compartments 15, thence over and between the tubes 11, along the ducts 14 and out thru the opening 28. In this manner the tubes 11 serve two purposes, namely, cooling the compartments for the ice-making receptacles and cooling the circulating air which flows in contact with them. It will be noted, however, that the compartments 15 themselves form large surfaces projecting into the path of the circulating air. Consequently these compartments also serve to cool the circulating air.

The compartments 15 are completely surrounded by refrigerating ducts and both top and bottom are in intimate contact with the ducts. Consequently the heat can be conducted out of these compartments rapidly and water placed within them will be frozen quickly. The compartments 15 are in contact with a smaller amount of surface of the refrigerating. ducts and are in addition more exposed to currents of air circulating thru the cabinet. Consequently these compartments absorb heat from the circulating air and the'heat is not removed from them as rapidly as in compartments 15. Consequent- 1y ice will be frozen more slowly in compartments 15'. These compartments appreciably add to the ice capacity of refrigerating element and can be used either for storage of ice and desserts after the latter have been frozen in compartments 15, or they may be used for slower freezing.

It will be observed that the evaporator above described effectively cools circulating air and that it is provided with considerable ice freezing and storage capacity. It will be appreciated that the header and its attendant fioat mechanism requires a certain thickness which can not be reduced and which consequently limits the thinness of the evaporator. However, in my construction, the entire refrigerating element is included substantially Within the height of the header and this consequently produces an evaporator of the minimum thickness. This is a decided advantage in the case of small cabinets, as it increases the space available for the storage of food and permits the construction of a food compartment of a convenient and economical shape.

While the form Ofembodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1.. An evaporator directly exposed to air flowing thereover for cooling the same, comprising in combination, an elongated horizontal header and looped conduit means for circulatin refrigerant extending laterally from the header and forming an elongated horizontal enclosure for an ice-making container substantially within the height of the header.

2. An evaporator directly exposed to air flowing thereover for cooling the same, comprising in combination a header, a conduit loop for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header and forming an enclosure for an ice-making container substantially within the height of the header, the loop including a pair of vertically spaced substantially horizontal ducts, and a compartment for an ice-making container disposed within the enclosure and thermally connected to both of the ducts.

3. A refrigerating element for refrigerat ing apparatus comprising in combination, an elongated horizontal header, looped conduit means for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header and forming an elongated horizontal enclosure for an icemalring container and a compartment for an ice-making container supported on the upper side of the loop, said enclosure and said compartment being substantially within the height of the header and said compartment being thermally connected to the loop.

4. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a header, and a single conduit connected at its ends to the header and extending laterally on opposite sides of the header to form a pair of enclosures for ice-making containers substantially Within the height of the header.

5. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a header. a conduit loop for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header and forming an enclosure for an ice-making container substantially within the height of the header, and a compartment for an icemaking container within the loop, a portion of the loop extending beyond the compartment for cooling circulating air.

6. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, an elongated horizontal header, a plurality of conduit loops for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header and spaced along the header to form an enclosure for an ice-making container substantially within the height of the header, and a compartment for an ice-making container within the loops, portions of the loops extending beyond the compartment and forming spaced elements for cooling circulating air.

7. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a cabinet; a partition dividing the cabinet into a storage compartment and a. cooling compartment which occupies substantially the entire width of the cabinet, and providing passages for the circulation of air between the compartments; and a shallow flat refrigerating element extending substant-ially the entire Width of the cooling compartment and including a header, a conduit loop for circulating refrigerant connected to the header and extending laterally from the header to form an enclosure for an icemaking container substantially within the height of the header and a compartment for an ice-making container within the enclosure, a portion of the loop extending beyond the compartment for cooling air circulating thru the passages.

8. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a cabinet; a partition dividing the cabinet into a storage compartment and a cooling compartment which occupies substantially the entire width of the cabinet, and providing passages for the circulation of air between the compartments; and a shallow flat refrigerating element extending substantially the entire width of the cooling compartment and including a header, a plurality of spaced conduit loops for circulating refrigerant connected to the header and extend ing laterally from the header to form an enclosure for an ice-making container substantially within the height of the header and a compartment for an ice-making container within the enclosure, portions of the loops extending beyond the compartment to form spaced elements for cooling air circulating thru the passages.

. 9. A refrigerating element for refrigeratmg apparatus comprising in combination, a header, a conduit loop for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header forming an enclosure for an ice making container and forming on its upper side a support for an ice making container, said support and said enclosure being substantially within the height of the header.

10. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a header, a conduit loop for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header forming an enclosure for an ice making container and forming on its upper side a support for an ice making container, said support and said enclosure being substantially within the height of the header, an ice making container within said enclosure, said conduit loop having a portion extending beyond said ice making container for cooling circulating air.

11. An evaporator directly exposed to air flowing thereover for cooling the same comprising in combination, an elongated horizontal header, conduit means connected along 44* I "1,aa7,7o9

the length of the header 05 circulating refrigerant and extending laterally from the header to form an elongated horizontally extending enclosure for an ice making con- 4-,, tainer substantially within the height of the 1 header.

12. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, an elongated horizontal header, conduit means r connected along the length of the header for circulating refrigerant and extending laterally on opposite sides of the header to form; a pair elongated horizontally extending enclosures for ice making containers substantially within the height of the header.

13. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a header, conduit means for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header to form an enclosure for an ice making container, a support for an ice making container formed on the upper side of said conduit means, said support and enclosure bein substantially within the height of the hea er.

* 14. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a header, conduit means for circulating refrigerant extending laterally on opposite sides of the header to form a pair of enclosures for ice making containers, supports for ice making containers formed on the upper sides of said conduit means, said supports and enclosures being substantially within the height of the header.

15. Refrigerating apparatus comprisin in combination a cabinet, a partition dividing the cabinet into a-storage compartment and a cooling compartment which occupies substantially the entire width of the v cabinet,

and providing passages for the circulation of air between the compartments; and a shallow flat refrigerating element extending substantially the entire width of the cooling compartment and including a header, loops for 4 circulating refrigerant connected to the header and extending laterally from the header to form an enclosure for an ice-making container substantially within the height of the header,.a compartment for an ice-makin container supported on the upper side of an attached to the loop, and a second compartment for an ice-making container within the enclosure, a portion of the loop and the firstmentioned compartment projecting into the path of air circulating through the passages.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

OTTO M. SUMIHERS. 

